CLOSE-UP
T OUG11
VIOLENT DEATH IS NO STRANGER
TO MEDICAL EXAMINER
WERNER SPITZ. SO HE TRIES
TO SOFTEN TRAGEDIES, LIKE
THE CRASH OF FLIGHT 255.
SUSAN WEINGARDEN
Special to The Jewish News
A
s Chief Medical Examiner
of Wayne County, Dr. Wer-
ner U. Spitz is no stranger
to death. As coroner, he is
skilled in the art of autop-
sy and his investigative techniques
are used after crimes to determine the
..,:use of death. he describes his job as
providing "a continuous element of
unexpected new challenges."
But no challenge was as
unwelcome as the task of identifying
the victims of the tragic crash in
August of Northwest Airlines flight
255 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
It was the worst disaster I have ever
seen," Spitz recalls. "I was in charge
of the entire procedure. Under
Michigan law, if a person dies from
unnatural causes, the medical ex-
aminer takes charge of the body.
"It was a grueling experience.
There was so much destruction and
damage. Most of the bodies were
fragmented and charred beyond
recognition. Our immediate goal was
to identify the victims and release the
remains to their families."
When Spitz arrived on the scene
within two hours of the crash the
night of Aug. 16, the fires were still
burning. His immediate concern was
getting the police to guard against
"souvenir collectors." After locating
an empty airplane hangar to use as
a work area, Spitz asked the county
to build makeshift autopsy tables. Six
refrigerated trucks held the bodies so
they would not decompose in the late
summer heat. All of the grisly efforts
were efficient and well organized.
"By dawn, I had everything I
needed," Spitz said. "I had surgical
and autopsy equipment, x-ray
machines for dental work, and
developing machines. In addition, we
had video arrangements to show
bodies to the families on closed circuit
TV to try to make it less traumatic for
them. Altogether, I had about 70 peo-
ple supporting me. Twelve FBI people
came to do fingerprint work, and 18
dentists, some from Northwestern
University in Illinois, used computers
to help with dental identification.
"The Red Cross was there con-
stantly with food. People volunteered
whatever time they could afford. Am-
bulance people helped with different
jobs and the funeral homes provided
helpers. It involved a lot of manpower
to move the bodies from one place to
another.
"We worked around the clock.
Each person that was there did a vital
job in helping get the whole episode
started and finished in six days."
Spitz worked 16- and 18-hour
shifts and slept in a hotel near the air-
port. The biggest obstacle, he said,
was talking to the families. "The
greatest handicap for me was trying
to keep my objectivity and profes- 4:k*„
sional capability in spite of the
tremendous emotional involvement.
These people had just lost members
of their family. I empathized with
them and it made me want to cry with